Sunday

1 Peter 3: You, TOO, who are wives must be submissive to your husbands.
Some of these still refuse credence to the word; it is for their
2 wives to win them over, not by word but by example; by the mod-
3 esty and reverence they observe in your demeanour. Your beauty
must lie, not in braided hair, not in gold trinkets, not in the dress
4 you wear, but in the hidden features of your hearts, in a possession
you can never lose, that of a calm and tranquil spirit; to God’s
5 eyes, beyond price. It was thus that the holy women of old time
adorned themselves, those women who had such trust in God, and
6 paid their husbands such respect. Think how obedient Sara was
to Abraham, how she called him her lord; if you would prove
yourselves her children, live honestly, and let no anxious thoughts
7 disturb you. You, too, who are husbands must use marriage considerately,
paying homage to woman’s sex as weaker than your
own. The grace of eternal life belongs to both, and your prayers
must not suffer interruption.
Prayer:  O my God I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. (Act of Faith)

Monday
Navarre Commentary on 1 Peter 3 Christian Marriage…

St Peter identifies the source of the dignity of women, who up to then (especially in the East) were regarded as inferior to men: according to Christian teaching man and woman are equal in dignity, because both are children of God and have the same supernatural destiny. The essential equality of men and women does not gainsay their different roles in marriage.

1-2. Again he reminds them of the importance of good example (cf. 2:11-12). Throughout the history of the Church, many women have converted husbands who were pagans or separated from God. St Augustine movingly describes the example of his mother, St Monica: “she served (her husband) as her lord. She made every effort to win him to you, speaking of you to him by her behaviour, by which you made her beautiful to her husband, respected and loved by him and admirable in his sight. For she bore his acts of unfaithfulness quietly, and never had any jealous scene with her husband about them. She hoped that your mercy would come upon him and that he believing in you might become chaste […]. The upshot was that towards the very end of his life she won her husband to you; and once he was a Christian she no longer had to complain of the things she had had to bear with before he was a Christian” (Confessions, 9, 9).

 

Prayer:   O Lord come to my assistance, O Lord make haste to help me.

Tuesday
1 Peter 3 8 In a word, think the same thoughts, all of you, and share the
same feelings; be lovers of the brethren. I would see you tender-
9 hearted, modest, and humble, not repaying injury with injury,
or hard words with hard words, but calling down a blessing instead.
This God’s call demands of you, and you will inherit a bless-
10 ing in your turn. Yes, long life and prosperous days, who would
have these for the asking? My counsel is, keep thy tongue clear of
11 harm, and thy hps free from every treacherous word. Neglect the
call of evil, and rather do good; let peace be all thy quest and
aim.

Prayer:  May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all!
May Thy Grace, Lord, Always be ours, This day, O Lord, and forevermore. Amen.
Prayer for the Faithful of St. Patrick  Part 2

 

Wednesday
Navarre on 1 Peter 3 8…

St Peter now addresses the faithful in general, emphasizing their membership of the Church. The exhortation ends with a quotation from Psalm 34 (vv. 12-16), a psalm he quoted earlier (cf. 2:3).

Love is the virtue that must govern the Christian life is that of love (vv. 8-9; cf. 1:22-25). This theological virtue influences all the moral virtues (St Peter here makes mention of unity, fraternity, compassion and humility, all of which replace the law of vengeance). He also stresses that their Christian calling dictates the way they should act: they have been chosen to inherit the blessings of God and therefore they in their turn should bless, not curse, others.

Prayer:   Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer.

 

Thursday
1 Peter 3: On the upright, the Lord’s eye ever looks favourably; his
ears are open to their pleading. Perilous is his frown for the wrong-
13 doers. And who is to do you wrong, if only what is good inspires
14 your ambitions? If, after all, you should have to suffer in the
cause of right, yours is a blessed lot. Do not be afraid or disturbed
15 at their threats; enthrone Christ as Lord in your hearts. If anyone
asks you to give an account of the hope which you cherish, be ready
at all times to answer for it, but courteously and with due reverence.
What matters is that you should have a clear conscience;
so the defamers of your holy life in Christ will be disappointed in
17 their calumny. It may be God’s will that we should suffer for
18 doing right; better that, than for doing wrong. It was thus that
Christ died as a ransom, paid once for all, on behalf of our sins,
he the innocent for us the guilty, so as to present us in God’s sight.

Prayer:  Our Father, Who art in  Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Friday
Navarre Commentary on the end of 1 Peter 3

The sacred writer now makes a series of appeals designed to give hope to Christians suffering unjustly on account of Jesus’ name: he reminds them that every baptized person is called to share in the paschal mystery of Christ, that is, in his sufferings and in his glorification; just as he, after suffering unjustly, was glorified (3:18-22), so too those who now suffer for Christ will have a part in his glorious triumph…

These verses act as an introduction to the central theme of this section (3:13 – 4:19). They seem to be directed to people who are surprised to encounter persecution despite doing good (v. 13). Opposition should not dismay them; their calumniators will come to realize their mistake (v. 16).

Prayer:  O Lord, our God, in Thy goodness and love for men forgive me all the sins I have committed today in word, deed or thought. Grant me peaceful and undisturbed sleep. Send Thy Guardian Angel to guard and protect me from all evil. For Thou art the guardian of our souls and bodies, and to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
*(Evening Prayer and Confession of Sins)

 

Saturday
Navarre Commentary on the end of 1 Peter 3  conclusion…

St Peter’s teachings have a perennial value for disciples of Christ, for (as history clearly shows) fidelity to the Master brings with it persecution (cf. Jn 15:18-22; 2 Tim 3:12), sometimes open and violent persecution, sometimes persecution of a more subtle type, in the form of calumny, humiliation and other hazards.

“Reverence Christ as Lord”: literally, “Hallow”, as in the Our Father. The words imply recognition of the divinity of Jesus Christ: he is called Lord (Kyrios), a name proper to God; and they are told to “glorify” or “reverence” him, that is, render him the worship that is due to God alone. Even in the midst of difficulties the entire Christian life should be a hymn of praise to God; by acting in this way, Christians are living out their holy, royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:4-10; cf. Vatican II, Presbyterorum ordinis, 1).

“To account for the hope that is in you”: he is not referring to defending oneself before the courts, for official persecution had not yet become widespread in Asia Minor (cf. note on 2:11-12). He seems, rather, to be referring to the obligation to bear witness to their faith and hope, for all baptized persons should always, by word and example, make known their faith known to others.

Prayer:  Preserve O Lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace.